Raised illiterate, married and abandoned at 12, then kidnapped at 17, Prafulya embodies the struggles of a girl born to poverty in 1800s India until a chance encounter changes her life forever. Devi [/they-vee/] is the story of a woman who rises to power against the rule of the British, quickly becoming the de facto ruler of the land, or The Devi (Goddess) Chaudhurani (Holder of the Land).

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Beloved by her people, the Devi uses her position to run a parallel government that believes in equality, justice, and freedom, proving that a woman can be the protagonist in her own story, despite mens’ best efforts to make her invisible.

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Devi is adapted for the stage from Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Devi Chaudhurani. Published in 1884, this text called for a resurgent India to fight against the rule of the British Empire with strength from within the common people. At a time when most women in India remained behind purdah and did not show their faces to men, Chatterjee’s work about a woman creating an ideal state lead by and for the people was revolutionary. 

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Pratidhwani brings history to the stage in a new, drama-dance by Moumita Bhattacharya. This production is presented in English and will feature eight Indian dance forms and 45 performers.